Critical Theorycraft
A newsletter about games, literature, and media of all sorts by writer, critic, and scholar Patrick Fiorilli.
- Created by Patrick Fiorilli
- August 2025
- Free
Recent posts
July 17, 2026
I recently had to opportunity to try Gambling on a trip to Vegas. How was the "Fun Factor"? Gambling is a long running live service game that's recently seen a slate of updates in the form of smartphone app integration and alternate reality mechanics. But how do its bones hold up in 2026? To find…
May 12, 2026
True to Bungie's promise, the end-game map makes the game click. It's taken us a few weeks, but my buddies and I finally earned our way into Marathon 's end-game raid map, the Cryo Archive. Our first forays—unspoiled by guides or streamers—have been pitiful. On attempt one, we somehow locked…
April 23, 2026
Does it matter when a game says something doesn't matter? This week in my "Video Games and Language" class, we read from Pippin Barr's The Stuff Games are Made Of ( available open-access !). It's an excellent book and one of my favorites to teach, not just because of its approachable insights into…
